Box member and blank therefor



May 19, 1925.

Z. S. OPPENHEIMER BOX'MEMBER AND BLANK THEREFOR Filed Aug. 22, 1924 Patented May 19, 1925.

UNITED STATES ZACI-IAB-IAS S. OPPENHEIMER, 0F NEW YORK, N.

BOX MEMBER- AND BLANK THEREFOR.

Applieaton filed August 22, 1924.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ZAcHARrAs OrrnN* Hennen, citizen of the United States, residingat New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented`newand useful Improvements iirBox Members and Blanks Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a box member constructed as set forth by Letters Patent ofthe United States, N o; 1,174,417, granted March 7, 1916, to Ellon S. Hill.L

Said patent Adiscloses a flat blank having longitudinal creases near two opposite edges, defining the bases of two longitudinal Hang-es, and slots atthe opposite ends of said creases, defining the inner edges of reinforcing tongues and the ends oftwo lateral flanges, the blank being also creased to define the bases of-said lateral flanges, the longitudinal flanges and tongues being provided with reinforcing` strips connecting said flanges with the tongues. In forming a box from said blank the flanges are bent inwardly from the bottom portion of the blank, and the tongues are bent to lie against the inner sides of the lateral flanges. Each flange is of greater width than the said'tongues, and is creased longitudinally to define the bases of flaps which are bent inwardly and cemented to the' flanges to cover said tongues and reinforcing strips, the said flanges, flaps, and strips forming in the completed box member a laminated wall, the corners of which are strengthened or stayed bythe reinforcing str/ips.

Thepresent invention lhasffor its object to increase the effectiveness of the saidreinforcing` strips as acorner-strengthening or staying means, and `-isembodied in the, improvements hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming` a part of this specification- Figure 1 is a iside view, showing myirnproved blank as prepared for erection or setting up to form a box member.

l Figures 2, 3 and 4 are fragmentary perspective views, illustrating the operation of setting up the blank to form a box member.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows the blankV from which the improved reinforcing strip may be formed.

Serial No, 733,541.

Figure 7 is a side view of a tube formed from the blank shown by Figure' 6'.

FigureS is an end' View of the tube;

Figure 9 is an enlargedside view", and Figure 10 an enlarged end view showing the tube flattened.`

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the'figures.

The blank comprises a body portion 12, two longitudinal flanges 13, and twojlateral flanges 14, said blank and flanges being integral and made fromy boxboard or other suitable material. The blank is provided with longitudinal creases 15 defining the bases of the flanges 13 and with lateral creases 16 defining the'bases Of the flanges 14.

kThe blank is providedatopposite ends with slots 17 defining theends of the lateral flanges 14 and the inneredges of reinforc# ing tongues 18 Ywhich constitute extensions of the longitudinal flanges 13.

The flanges are widened and are centrally creased lengthwise at 2O to define the bases of longitudinal flaps 13EL on the flanges 13, and transverse flaps 14 on the flanges 14.

The construction thus far describedv is substantially the same as shown by the Hill patent above mentioned. The blank dis-j closed by the Hilkpatent is provided with reinforcing strips or corner stays of thin and strong Kraft paper, said strips extend-L ing across the lineson which the tongues 18 are bent, said lines being continuations of the creases 16. According to the` disclosure of the Hill patent,.each ofthe reinforcing strips is a single thickness of paper. Said: strips are cemented to the `flaps 13 and tongues 18. In the completed box, the flaps 13al and 14il are folded over and cementedtok the reinforcing strips. Said singlethickness strips are thereforecoated at both sides with cement, which permeates or sinks into the fibers of the strips. The hardening of the `cementrenders the strips undesirably. rigid and brittle and.l thus detracts from their toughness, a single thickness paper strip permeated by dried cement being more easily torn than one which is free from cement and in its natural condition, of flexibility and toughness. Theblank of my inw vention is distinguished from that above described by the construction of the reinforcing' strips or corner stays next described.

Each reinforcing strip is made from a blank 19 of thin sheet material, preferably Kraft paper, the form of the blank being preferably rhomboidal as shown by Figure 6. The blank is wound on a rod or mandrel to form a tube 19, as shown by Figures 7 and 8, the tube including a plurality of convolutions as best shown by Figure 8, which shows the tube and the thickness of the paper much enlarged, the thickness of the paper being considerably greater in proportion to the dia-meter of the .tube than in actual practice. vWhen a rhomboidal blank is employed, the blank is wound helically and the inner convolutions are overlapped by the succeeding convolutions in such manner that any cross section of the tube is formed by a plurality of superimposed convolutions (Figure 8). There may be any desired number of these convolutions, four being shown 'by Figure 8, and two by Figure 10. In forming the tube, the convolutions are left unattached to each other. After the tube is removed from the mandrel, it is flattened as shown by Figures 9 and 10, and is thus converted into a laminated flat sidedstrip having inner and outer surface layers 21 and intermediate layers The strip as a whole is designated by 19". The inner surface layers are cemented to the inner surfaces of the longitudinal flanges 13 and the inner surfaces ofthe tongues 18, when the blank is flat.

The blank is now ready to be erected or set up to form a box member, as described by the I-Iill patent. The aps 13LnL are first folded over upon and cemented to the flanges 18 and portions of the outer surface layers 21 `of the reinforcing strip, as shown by Figure 2. The flanges 13 are then turned upward and the tongues 18 inward as shown by Figure 3,*this operation bending the reinforcing strips into angular form. Finally the transverse flanges 14 are bent upward against the tongues 18, and 'the flaps 14s are folded over and cemented to the tongues 18 and the portions of the reinforcing strips thereon, as shown by Figure 1, the flaps 14a being at the same time cemented to the portions of the flanges 14 not covered by the tongues.

It will now beseen that the surface layers 21 are the only portions of the reinforcing strip which are affected by the cement, and that the intermediate layers 22 are free from cement and retainr the original flexibility and toughness of freedom from brittleness of the material of the strip. The intermediate layers therefore constitute substantial relatively tough and flexible parts of the reinforcing strip, and prevent liability of tearing or breakage at the corners of the box member.

The described reinforcing strips may be conveniently manufactured by winding a Iraft papertube of indeterminate length, flattening it and cutting it into lengths, each sufficient for one reinforcing strip. The winding and flattening operations may be expeditiously performed by simple mechanical means, and the flattening operation renders the final form of the strip sufficiently permanent to permit the application of the strip without any folding operation, excepting that which originally forms the strip.

It will be seen that the reinforcing strips do not overlap the flaps 13a of the longitudinal flanges, and are characterized by the fact that, each strip is a flattened laminated tube having surface layers 21 contacting with the cement along their entire 'length and intermediate layers 22 covered by the surface layers, so that the intermediate layers are not rendered brittle by the cement, and are free from each other and from'the surface layers.

I claim:

A box member comprising a blank which includes longitudinal and lateral flanges, longitudinal and lateral flaps on said flanges, and tongues at the ends of the longitudinal flanges, the corners ofthe blank having recesses; and reinforcing strips cemented to the inner sides of the longitudinal flanges and the tongues, the longitudinal flaps being folded and cemented tothe longitudinal flanges and to surfaces of the reinforcing strips, the tongues being bent inward so that the reinforcing strips are bent into angular form, the transverse flanges being bent upward against the tongues, and the transverse aps being folded inward and eemented to the transverse flanges and the reinforcing strips, said strips being characterized by the fact that each strip is aflattened laminated tube having surface lay ers contacting with the cement along their entire length, and intermediate covered by the surface layers, so that the intermediate layers are not rendered brittle by the cement and are free from each other and from the surface layers.

In testimony whereofVI have affixed my signature.

zacHAniAs s. OPPENHEIMER.

layersV 

